FWD.us is a bipartisan political organization that believes America's families, communities, and economy thrive when everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. For too long, our broken immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out from the American dream. Founded by leaders in the technology and business communities, we seek to grow and galvanize political support to break through partisan gridlock and achieve meaningful reforms. Together, we can move America forward.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Grants & Operations Assistant provides the day-to-day administrative and data support that keeps FWD.us’s grant-funded work running. The Assistant works closely with the larger program and grants team who own proposal writing, funder narrative, and reporting strategy. The Associate supports this work with record keeping, documentation, deadline and compliance paperwork. The role also provides broad finance and operations administrative support on contract managements, expenses and annual audit preparation.
This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional who is organized, eager to learn how a mission-driven organization operates, and motivated by building effective systems. The Grants & Operations Assistant appreciates the essential role that operations and administration play in advancing FWD’s ambitious mission. They excel at problem-solving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, work effectively both independently and collaboratively, and can successfully manage multiple moving parts. Additionally, the ideal candidate thrives in a bipartisan framework and brings a strong work ethic to this vital role.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working with the operations and program teams, the Grants & Operations Assistant will support a variety of operations functions of FWD, with a focus on the following areas:
Grant & Funder Administration
Support the administration of grants including completing and submitting the paperwork and compliance documentation, including W-9s, banking and ACH/wire instructions, vendor and payee setup forms, IRS determination letters, board and staff rosters, organizational budgets, audited financial statements, Forms 990, certificates of insurance, and due diligence questionnaires.
Register and maintain FWD.us profiles and credentials across funder portals and grant management systems; track log-in ownership so access is never tied to a single individual. Record grant agreements, award letters, and funder-required certifications for review and signature.
Support the program team through the proposal and reporting cycle by assembling and formatting attachments, budgets, and supporting schedules, proofreading submissions, uploading materials to funder portals, and confirming receipt.
Maintain accurate, audit-ready grant files so that any award can be traced from proposal through agreement, payment, and final report.
Data & Systems Management
Serve as a primary steward of FWD.us’s central operations and funder database, ensuring that every proposal, award, payment, contract, and reporting obligation is entered accurately, completely, and on time.
Upload and organize source documents — proposals, award letters and agreements, budgets, reports, correspondence, and amendments — and link them to the correct records.
Apply and enforce consistent naming conventions, field definitions, and file structures across the database and shared drives.
Perform regular data hygiene: audit records for missing fields, duplicates, stale statuses, and broken links, and correct them.
Operations and Finance Support
Provide support to the finance and operations team related to compliance such as assisting with routine financial processes, including scanning and depositing checks, recording receipts, entering data, and preparing documentation for processing.
Assist with the annual independent financial statement audits of FWD and affiliated entities by…